Boat docks are a highly coveted feature for most waterfront properties and often the value of such property can vary substantially based solely on whether a dock permit can be obtained by the property owner. In many cases, permitting regulations prohibit the installation of permanent docks and only allow for the use of floating docks along a shoreline. This type of restriction is found, for example, on lakes that are owned and managed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers currently manages more than 450 lakes in the United States. Its goal is to manage and conserve these lakes in a manner consistent with the ecosystem management principles, while providing quality public outdoor recreation experiences to serve the needs of present and future generations. This strategy forces the Corps to balance several factors when managing the inflow and outflow of the lakes. These factors include: navigation, recreation, hydropower, wildlife, habitat, flood control, and the public's water supply. This management strategy can have a profound impact on lake levels, especially when drought conditions arise. In recent years, fluctuations in the lake levels of lakes managed by the Corps of Engineers have become more common and more pronounced.
On such lakes, property owners are prohibited from placing any permanent structure inside the “corps line,” which typically encompasses a significant portion of the land leading up to the actual shoreline and is measured in terms of elevation. Therefore, property owners are restricted to the installation of floating docks along the shoreline. This restriction is due in part to the constantly shifting lake levels and the need to utilize a dock structure that can accommodate such conditions. However, these floating docks are extremely heavy, and moving them each time there is a change in the lake levels is both inconvenient and potentially dangerous.
Access to a floating boat dock is typically provided by a walkway. The walkway abuts the shoreline at one end and is affixed to the floating dock at the opposite end. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain the floating dock at a fixed distance from the shoreline so that the walkway is accessible from dry land and the dock is located at a sufficient water depth to keep it afloat. Under Corps regulations, the floating docks must be physically anchored to the shore by the walkway and an approved cabling system. The walkway can be anchored to the shoreline in a number of ways designed to prevent the dock from moving shoreward. One common method is to drive a metal spike into the ground where it is in direct contact with shoreward side of the walkway. Cables are typically attached to anchors that are driven into place on the shoreline above the high water mark, and the cable is then wound onto take-up winches carried by the dock. In this setup, the metal spike prevents the dock and walkway from moving toward the shore, and the cable system prevents the dock from moving away from the shore. Further, the cabling system prevents the dock from moving parallel to the shore and colliding with surrounding docks.
The system as described above functions well in maintaining a floating dock in a constant position along the shoreline. However, when the water level changes the dock must be moved—inward or outward depending on an increased or decreased water level, respectively. Moving a floating dock and walkway is a cumbersome and potentially dangerous event. The sheer weight of the dock alone creates a hazard that can be exacerbated when conditions include high winds and waves. When the water level rises, the dock and attached walkway must be moved shoreward and the cables must be taken until a desired level of tension is reached. When the water level falls, the cables must be paid out and the walkway and dock must be moved to an appropriate water depth. If a dock owner does not make the appropriate adjustments in a timely manner the dock may be damaged in a number of ways. Most notably, if the water level falls the dock may become grounded on the lakebed, which is damaging to the floatation elements and makes the dock significantly harder to move. Further, if the water rises, the cable system may become slack and the dock could swing into other docks or boats anchored nearby.
There is a need for a self-propelled, self-contained, moveable boat-dock system that allows a single owner operator to manipulate the position of a floating dock with minimal effort. It is the object of this invention to provide a means for moving a floating dock relative to a changing lake water level, with which the operator is able to simultaneously control the shoreward position of the walkway the cabling system attached to the dock from a single control center; thereby allowing the operator to move the dock and the attached walkway without exhaustive effort and the risk of injury traditionally required to perform such a task.